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Víkingur lands first capelin of the season

Víkingur AK is now on route to Vopnafjördur with 1000 tonnes of large, top-quality capelin on board that was caught over two nights in Greenland waters. According to mate Gudmundur Hafsteinsson, conditions on the fishing grounds are fine with strong capelin marks over a wide area, although the marks could be tighter.

‘We’re 127 nautical miles off Hornbjarg with 250 miles to go to Vopnafjördur,’ he said this morning, adding that they expect to dock on Sunday morning.

Víkingur sailed last weekend to search for capelin, but that trip was cut short by bad weather. Before the weather closed in, the crew were aware of capelin marks, but weren’t able to shoot the gear before they were forced to steam to Ísafjördur to sit out the storm. The outlook was for better weather later in the week, and that forecast proved accurate. Víkingur sailed on Thursday and that night took 500 tonnes in four shots. By then the ship was at 68°34´N, 23°07W. The second night’s fishing brought a further 500 tonnes and on Saturday morning the course was set for Vopnafjördur.

Gudmundur Hafsteinsson said that there is capelin from right on the surface all the way down to 100 fathoms at night, but during the day the fish dive to deeper depths that are though not beyond purse seine fishing. The capelin are large at around 42 per kilo. No decision has been taken on the processing, but this depends on the quality when the fish are landed at Vopnafjördur.